Systematic Review of Early Intensive Behavioral Interventions for Children with Autism

Overview

Journal Am J Intellect Dev Disabil

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2009 Jan 16

PMID 19143460

Citations 156

Authors

Patricia Howlin

Iliana Magiati

Tony Charman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Recent reviews highlight limitations in the evidence base for early interventions for children with autism. We conducted a systematic review of controlled studies of early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI) for young children with autism. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria (including two randomized controlled trials). At group level, EIBI resulted in improved outcomes (primarily measured by IQ) compared to comparison groups. At an individual level, however, there was considerable variability in outcome, with some evidence that initial IQ (but not age) was related to progress. This review provides evidence for the effectiveness of EIBI for some, but not all, preschool children with autism.

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